Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1887-02-09
Cant. ,JOe'S Vengeance.

"Just before Custer made his Ia
nous Wichita campaign against the
REDSKINS" says Capt. Joe Smith OF
Kansas, II was hunting and trapping
on the Cimmaron River on the line OF
the Indian Territory. There were
three OF us, my partners being named
Hank White end Lew Benson, respec-
lively, and brave, good men they
we're. We We're about ready to pack
up and get out of the huntinggrounds
when White accidently fired q bullet
into his hip, and we found ourselves
forced to lie close until he could walk.
1t was u severe but not q dangerous
wound, and it was likely that in
about fortnight he would be able to
move. The Indians had not bothered
lis any to speak, of up to this time;
but now, as if to add to the perplexi-
ties OF our situation, the devils SEEM
ed to be overrunning the neighbour
hood. We had u camp which was we'll
nigh impregnable to attack, and the
towards contented themselves with
lurking about and seeking to cut one
Or the other of us off without expos
ing themselves. l was fired upon
twice in one day, and next day Ben
son got bullet through his cap.
While we had ceased trapping one Of
us must do more or less hunting to
supply the camp, and only one could go
out ut q time. White was little bet
ter than helpless, and we dared not
leave him alone. His wound was
rapidly improving at the end of ten
days, and we were feeling sanguinc
that he could tlse his leg in another
ten, when | went out one morning
after meat. Game had become shy
and scarce in our immediate vicinity,
and | made 4 jaunt of about six miles
up the river to reach some wooded
bottom lands. 1t was mid-after.
noon before | returned, having the
hind quarters of a doe and q fine
turkey. took the usual precautions
when approaching camp, but met with
no alarm until | entered it. Then l
found White dead and scalped, and
brutalIy distigured, Benson missing,
and all our traps and peltries and
other property gone. The Indians
had been there. | was so taken aback
that it was some minutes before |
could act. Then went out to scour
for their trail and seek evidence as
to whether Benson had been carried
off or murdered. | was circling
about the place when | heard a
voice family calling, and entered a
thicket about eighty rods from camp,
to find Benson lying on the ground
in his blood; He had been wounded in
three places: He was hardly better
than q dead man, and it way in whis-
pers that he told methe story. | had
been gone about two hours, and he
had started for the river to get some
water, when he was fired upon and
six Indians dashed at him. Benson
had Henry rife in his hand, and he
freed and returned the fire, killing one
OF the indians. They were between
him and the camp, and while two OF
them held him at bay, the other three
went in and killed White and packed
up the property. Benson could not
expose himself, nor could he pursue
when they drew of, Had they hun
gered for his life they could easily
have taken it, but they seemed salts
fed with what they had accomplished.
The man didn't live an hour after re-
Iating the particulars, and went down
ON my knees by his dead body and
sWOre to revenge my comrades.
A month later twenty men of us
pioneers, hunters, Indian fighters, and
scouts, banded together to hustle
band of five or six redskins who had
captured and run offsome horses from
a couple OF ranches lying between the
south fork of the Platte and the north
fork of the Niobrara rivers. They had
a full days start, but their Captured
animals were obstinate and unruly,
and they made but slow progress. |
had been elected Captain of the band,
and about shutdown of the first day,
knowing pretty well the route the In
dians must take for the next two, |
called in some of the oldest scouts for
a consultation. The result was that
we planned short cut, and rode all
night and until noon next day TO
make sure work of it. Then one took
position in a dry run bordering the
edge Of narrow valley through which
the Indians were expected, and every
man saw that his firearms were in or
der. We had over two hours to ar
range the details, and when the savages
finally appeared in sight we were graf
flied to discover that the band we had
first pursued had been strengthened
along the route by others. There were
now thirteen redskins. We we're sta
toned along the run about four feet
apart, and it was understood that
not a shot was to be fired until the
head of the band was fairly abreast
of the head of our line. 1t seemed too
bad that there were not just thirty
Indians, SO as to give us man for man,
but that was a matter we couldn't
improve Oh.
"They came into the valley without
even the slightest suspicion of our
presence. The herd was driving bet
ter, causing no trouble, and some OF
the Indians seemed to be asleep as
they logged along. AS they rode in
close order their line did not exceed
ours in length, and every one was
fair target as we got the signal and
fired upon them. Nine of them keeIed
off their saddles as dead as bricks,
while the other four were wounded,
and were dispatched by second shots.
Not one of them was alive two min
utes after the first trigger was pulled,
and, as rolled the body of the leader
Under my foot, l felt that poor White
and Benson might sleep better in their
lonely graves"